


I Won't Give Up

by openandbroken



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-14 01:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12997275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/openandbroken/pseuds/openandbroken
Summary: When a blind date goes wrong, Magnus won't give up.  But will Alec?





	I Won't Give Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright/gifts).



> Written for the Shadowhunters Betas 2017 Winter Fic Exchange. 
> 
> Beta'd by the amazing [Bel](http://intangibel.tumblr.com/)! Thank you! All mistakes are completely my fault.

 

“Say yes.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

Izzy groaned in frustration, “Come on, Alec.”

“ _No_ ,” he shook his head and stood his ground.  Taking off his uniform jacket, he tossed it on the counter before pulling his shirt out of his waistband.  He crossed his arms and glared at his sister.  “No. No. No.  Do I have to remind you of Kevin?  Or Dan or Luis or Sam or-”

Izzy reached up and clamped her hand over his mouth to stop him.

Alec glared at her until she finally removed her hand.  Taking a deep breath, he leaned back on the counter’s edge and calmly continued, “Your track record with setting me up on blind dates is horrendous.”

“I will admit,” she started, “they did not go how I had planned.”  Alec snorted and leveled her with a glare.  When he moved to open his mouth, she held up a hand to stop him.  “But this is different.”

“And how many times have I heard _that_ before?”

“Look, I’m just-,” Izzy stopped mid-sentence trying to find the right words before continuing.  Reaching up, she cupped his face in her hands and looked him straight in the eyes.  “I love you, Alec,” she cleared her throat.  “I want nothing but the best for you.  You _deserve_ nothing but the best.  You’ve been repressed for so long that I just want you to get out there and _live_.”

“Izzy,” Alec let out a breath, placing his hands over hers.  He took a minute to wonder how the mood had changed so suddenly before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a crushing hug.  He rested his chin on the top of her head and whispered, “I love you too.”

She hugged him back just as hard before mumbling into his shirt, “I’ll make you a deal.”  Pulling back just enough to look up at him, she continued, “This is a friend of Maia’s and you’ve met Maia.  You know she’s good people.  If you don’t trust my judgement, then trust her.”  She gave Alec a chance to say something but he only nodded for her to go on.  “Go on this date and if it doesn’t work,” she paused and took a deep breath, “then I promise I’ll stop setting you up.  Deal?”

Alec rolled his eyes, doubting Izzy would ever be able to stop but grinned anyway.  “Deal.” 

 

*****

 

“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Alec sighed.  He threw one last punch at the mitts in Jace’s hands and then let himself collapse back on the mat. 

“You’re a glutton for punishment man,” Jace laughed, sitting down next to Alec.  He took off the mitts and reached over to his bag to pull out two bottles of water.  When Alec turned and glared at him, he held up his hands in surrender then offered him a water as a peace offering.  “Don’t look at me.  You know you can’t say no to Izzy.  You should have called for backup before you had _that_ conversation with her.”

Alec took the water and placed it on the mat in front of him before groaning and dropping his head in his hands.  “I know.”

“Look, it can’t be that bad.  Meet the guy for dinner and if it ends in disaster-”

“You mean _when_ it ends in disaster.”

“ _If_ it ends in disaster, then just bail out early and meet up with Simon and me at the bar,” Jace finished and took a quick swallow of water.  “Free drinks!  You can drown your sorrows for free.  How is that not a good ending to a night?”

“Free drinks are what Simon pays _me_ to listen to random people butcher perfectly good music,” Alec countered, finally opening the bottle.

“True,” Jace agreed, “but you have to admit that the drunk business men are the best.  They make the whole night worth it.”

The two of them sat there on the mat in silence, downing their water.  Eventually, Alec stood up, “Come on.”  Turning back to Jace, he offered his hand and pulled the other man to his feet.  “I need to get some nervous energy out.  You up for another round?”

“I’m always up for another round,” Jace grinned.  “Just ask Simon.”

Alec made a face at the image and shoved him away, laughing when the blonde tripped and fell.

 

*****

 

Alec stood at the corner, smoothing the front of his button-down shirt and pulling at the sleeves of his suit jacket.  He started to nervously fidget, pacing back and forth, as he went over the details Izzy had given him yet again.  For the hundredth time that day he questioned why he was here, why he agreed to go out on yet another one of Izzy’s blind dates, why he thought- 

“Alec?”

Alec startled out of his thoughts and turned at the sound of his name.  He swallowed hard when he saw the source.  “Um, yeah,” he stuttered.  “Magnus, I presume?”

The other man grinned, “You presume correctly.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alec reached out offering his hand.  He was starting to get distracted by the way Magnus’ smile lit up his entire face when he was brought back to reality by the feel of cold metal on his hand.  Quickly looking down, he noticed the rings adorning long, slender fingers.  He had never given much thought to jewelry, especially not on men, but found it oddly enticing on the man in front of him.  He swallowed and decided to file that new found knowledge away for later.

“The pleasure is all mine.”  Magnus finished shaking his hand and winked, laughing at the blush creeping up on the other man's cheeks.  “Shall we?  The restaurant is just down on the next block.”

Alec nodded and moved to follow, taking a moment to look over the other man.  He took in the streaks of bright color in his hair, the dark red dinner jacket, and black skinny jeans that hugged him in all the right places.  Clearing his throat, he caught up with Magnus and the two of them continued down the city block in relative silence, somewhere between awkward and comfortable.  Just as Alec was about to say something, _anything_ , he saw a homeless man a few yards ahead.  He glanced around quickly and then turned to Magnus as they neared the man.  “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

Magnus looked confused but nodded, “Sure.”  He watched as Alec gave a quick smile and then jogged off, eventually entering a McDonald’s a few storefronts down.  Magnus made a face and was about to make a comment when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye.  When he turned, he saw the homeless man and noticed he had a dog with him.  He knelt down and smiled, “You have a beautiful dog, sir.  What’s his or her name?”

“Her name is Liberty.”  His voice was quiet and he avoided looking directly at Magnus.

“Well it was a pleasure to meet you both,” Magnus’ smile was genuine.  He reached out to pet the dog for a few seconds before going into his pocket and pulling out his wallet.  Taking out a fifty dollar bill, he folded it and gave it to the man.  “This is for you and Liberty,” he instructed. 

“Thank you, thank you,” he rushed out.

Magnus stood up and smiled.  He was about to turn and look for Alec when the other man came walking up, arms full of food. 

Alec looked at Magnus and blushed a bit, before immediately turning his attention to the man sitting on the ground.  He squatted down and placed all the food in front of him.  “This is for you,” Alec explained.  “And there’s something special in the bag for your dog too.”  He smiled as the man looked back and forth from the bag to Alec.

“Oh, I-” the man stopped, getting choked up.  “Thank you!  God bless you.  God bless both of you!”

Alec looked up at Magnus and then back down to the man.  He watched as he reached into the bag and took out the first piece of food.  “Thank you _._ ” Alec gave one last smile and stood up.  He looked at Magnus and nodded his head, indicating they should continue on.

Magnus watched the whole scene dumbfounded.  He was speechless.  Opening his mouth, he quickly closed it again, deciding not to say anything and instead choosing to walk on in silence.  He took a moment to stare after the other man before taking a few long strides to catch up with him.  Once they were walking side by side again, he continued to steal glances out of the corner of his eye the entire way. 

 

*****

 

“So, is ‘Alec’ short for Alexander?”

Alec nodded, shifting to get comfortable in his seat.  “It is, but no one calls me that.  Except maybe my parents.”  He looked down at his menu and turned the page. 

Magnus watched as the other man visibly stiffened when mentioning his parents.  Instead of pressing the matter, he turned his attention back to the menu in his own hands. 

“Good evening gentlemen.  Your waiter will be with you in a moment but would you care for something to drink while you look over the menu?”

Both men looked to the woman now at their table and then to each other.  It was Magnus who spoke first, “How about some wine?  Do you have a preference?”

“I prefer reds, but I’ll drink either,” Alec answered honestly.

Magnus smiled, “Red it is then.”  He turned to the woman and ordered a bottle.  When she left, he turned his attention back to Alec, taking the initiative to try and get the conversation flowing.  “By the way, how do you know Maia?  She definitely sang your praises.”

“Izzy,” Alec gave a small laugh.  Talking about someone else was much easier than talking about himself.  At the confused look on Magnus’ face, he clarified, “My sister Isabelle.  She and Maia go to Columbia together.  Apparently, forensic pathology and marine biology have some cross over classes.” 

Magnus hummed in appreciation.  “Isabelle must be very smart.”

“She is.  She knows what she wants and goes for it.  Heaven help anyone who stands in her way.”

“I can see how she hit it off with Maia,” Magnus chuckled.  “She’s the same way.”

“I’ve only met Maia a handful of times at the bar, but she’s an amazing woman,” Alec said seriously.  “I’m glad Izzy found a friend in her.  Maia can handle her own next to Iz.  Usually people, men and women both, are threatened by her.”

“That she can. Maia’s-”

“Good evening.  My name is Kevin and I’ll be serving you tonight.”

Magus stopped when the waiter came up and placed the bottle on the table.  As the waiter uncorked the wine, Magnus couldn’t help but notice the change in his date.  He quirked an eyebrow in question when he caught Alec’s eye.

Alec sat up straight, back stiff and knuckles white as he gripped the menu.  He stared straight ahead at Magnus and focused on breathing.

“Can I start you out with any of our appetizers?” Kevin asked with a smile as he poured Magnus’ glass first.  “I can also go over the house specials tonight if you’d like,” he offered, going to reach for the other occupant’s glass.  As soon as he turned, he stopped short.  “Alec.”

“Kevin,” Alec said coldly, finally turning to look at the waiter. 

“I take it you two know each other,” Magnus stated matter-of-factly.

“Let me fill your glass for you,” Kevin smiled, voice sickeningly sweet.  He reached over and started to pour the wine into Alec’s glass.  The glass was filled halfway before Kevin moved his hand slightly to the left and the wine poured over the table and onto Alec’s lap.

“What the fuck?” Alec exclaimed, jumping up and tipping his chair over.

“Oops,” Kevin glared. 

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” Magnus interrupted, “but you need to get the manager.”  When Kevin didn’t move, Magnus stood.  “ _Now._ ”

“Once an asshole, always an asshole,” Alec growled.  “I hope they fire you because that’s exactly what you deserve.”  With that, he stormed off, leaving Magnus to deal with Kevin.  Walking across the restaurant, he rushed into the restroom, scaring the attendant in the process.  He gave a quick glance at the man then went right to the sink and turned the water on.  He splashed his face a few times then grabbed one of the hand towels and held it under the stream.  Squeezing out the excess water, he started to dab at the spreading wine stain on his shirt and pants. 

“Of course it had to be red,” he mumbled to himself.  He tried as hard as he could to stop the damage but it was no use.  Giving a frustrated sigh, he tossed the towel aside and looked at himself in the mirror.  This was not how he had expected the night to go.  He gripped the edge of the sink and closed his eyes, focusing on taking calming breaths.  A minute or two later he opened his eyes and caught the attendant staring at him.  When they locked eyes, the other man quickly looked away.

Now that he had calmed down, Alec felt guilty for how he had entered the restroom.  Sighing, he ran his hands over his face and through his hair one last time.  When he was satisfied that he was as presentable as he could be, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills from his wallet.  Before leaving, he put them in the tip bowl and gave the attendant a small nod on the way out, embarrassment heating his face. 

He had made his way back towards their table when he suddenly stopped a few yards away.  All he could do was stare at the scene in front of him.  There was another man at his table.  Another man that was making Magnus, _his_ date, smile and laugh.  Another man who was standing and pulling Magnus into a hug.  He watched and waited and soon enough the other man left and headed out the front of the restaurant.  That was the final straw he needed to push himself into motion, striding across the last bit of distance.  Coming up to the table, he pulled out his chair and sat back down.  “Hello.”

“Alexander,” Magnus smiled.  “Everything ok?”

Alec looked at him like he was crazy.  “No, everything’s not ok,” he motioned to the front of him.  “My clothes are ruined and I come back out of the restroom to find another man hitting on my date.”

Magnus was taken back.  “That man,” he cleared his throat and clasped his hands together, “is my good friend Raphael.  He’s the general manager of the hotel and we were just discussing the fact that the manager of this establishment didn’t want to do anything to reprimand the waiter.”

Alec clenched his jaw and stared at Magnus but said nothing.

“Raphael assures me that Kevin will be fired,” Magnus sighed and sat back, resigned to the fact that the date was turning into a disaster.

“What?” Alec sputtered.  “You got him fired?”

“I really don’t see why you’re making such a big deal about this.”  Magnus reached up and started to rub his temples, feeling a headache coming on.  “Honestly Alexander,” he started, “I can’t keep up with you.  A few minutes ago, you jumped up, told Kevin he should be fired, and then stormed off to the restroom.  Now you’re upset that he’s actually being fired?  Which is what you just said should happen.”

“I was angry!” Alec placed his hands on the table and curled his fingers.  “I don’t want someone to actually get fired because of me.  You know nothing about him and his life.  What if he has a family to take care of?  Or medical bills?  Or a whole host of other things.”

Magnus looked at him like he was crazy.  He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it.  Sitting back once again, he crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap.  He stared at Alec in wonder, trying to figure the man out.

Alec met Magnus’ gaze and held it for a few moments before looking away.  He looked around the room at all the different tables, watching couples laughing and smiling, and felt a pang of jealousy.  Looking back down at his own table, the red stains on the tablecloth and on his clothes, he let his shoulders fall in defeat.  “Look, clearly this isn’t working.”

“Clearly,” Magnus agreed.

He pushed his chair back and stood, taking out his wallet, “We should just call it a night.”

Magnus raised his hand and waved Alec off, “The meal is being comped in light of what happened.  Well, the wine is anyway.  We never did order.”

“Then it can be considered his tip,” Alec glared at Magnus.  “He’s going to need every bit he can get, now that he’s out of a job.”  With that said, he threw the money on the table then turned and walked out.  As soon as he was outside the building, he looked around for the nearest subway entrance.  When he found one, he started walking towards the stop while pulling out his cell phone and dialing Izzy’s number.

“Oh no. What happened?” Izzy immediately asked in lieu of a greeting.

“Where are you?”

Izzy knew that tone.  “At the bar.  I’ll see you in a few.”

Alec pressed end just as he was approaching the stairs down to the train.

 

*****

 

Magnus watched as Alec walked away.  He watched as he walked out the door and then turned to look out the windows that lined the front of the restaurant, watching as his date headed off down the block.  When Alec was finally out of sight, he sighed and pulled his phone out of his jacket.  Hitting a speed dial, he drummed his fingers on the table as he waited for his call to be answered.

The call connected.  “Remind me again why I trust you?”

“Because I have impeccable taste.  I learned from the master, after all,” Maia joked on the other end of the line.  “Why do you ask?”

“Because my date was a disaster,” Magnus answered.  “Such a disaster that he already left the restaurant and we never even ordered food.”

“Ouch!”

“Yes.  So now you, my dear, have to entertain me.  Where are you?”

“I’m at a place over on 32nd called _Howlers_.  I’ll text you the address,” she replied.

“What the hell kind of place is named _Howlers_?”

“A karaoke bar.  And I know you Magnus, don’t roll your eyes.  You can’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” she laughed.

“Oh my god,” he was indeed rolling his eyes.  “Just text me the address.  I’ll see you in a bit.” 

Maia laughed and started howling through the phone.

“I’m hanging up now.”  Another howl.  “Good _bye_ ,” Magnus ended the call and stood up.  He moved to leave but stopped, feeling the beginnings of guilt starting to rise.  Turning back around, he tossed some money on the table, effectively doubling the waiter’s tip.

 

*****

 

“It couldn’t have gone _that_ bad, Alec.”

He turned and glared at his sister.  “Were you there?”  She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.  “Yeah, didn’t think so.”

“Where did it go wrong?” Jace asked.  “I mean blind dates are always awkward but.”

Alec jumped off the bar stool and took a step back.  “Where do I start?” he gestured to his stained clothes.

Simon winced, “That sucks.”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Alec countered, rolling his eyes.

“Alec, calm down and start explaining.”  Izzy reached out and put her hand on his arm, squeezing gently.

“Kevin,” was all Alec said as he sat back down.

“Wait, like _Kevin_ Kevin?”  Jace and Simon looked at each other and cringed.

“The one and only,” Alec took a sip of his drink.  “He was the one that decided to take all his pent up anger out on my clothes.  Then when I got angry, I may have said he should be fired.  I never, in a million years, thought anyone would actually listen to what I said.  But when I came back from the bathroom, after failing miserably to control the damage,” he motioned to his pants, “Magnus told me he had him fired.”

The other three turned to each other in stunned silence.

“Oh, and did I mention that was _after_ I saw my date laughing and hugging another guy?”

“There has to be an explanation,” Izzy started.

“Totally,” Simon agreed.  “I mean no one can be that big of an ass can they?  And honestly,” he looked to Jace before turning to Alec, “Kevin did kind of deserve to be fired.  I mean, that place is swanky and-”

“Did you just use the word ‘swanky’?” Jace laughed.

“So not the point right now,” Simon glared.  He went back to addressing Alec, “That restaurant is very upscale, Alec.  I’m sure you two weren’t the only ones who saw him purposely pour the wine on you.  If that got out, they’d lose their five star rating, or whatever it is that they get.”

Izzy was about to agree when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and swore under her breath, effectively ending the conversation.  “ _Shit._ ”

“Do I even want to know?” Alec groaned and dropped his head in his hands.

“I swear to you we didn’t plan this,” Izzy started, sharing a look with Jace and Simon before glancing over Alec’s shoulder.  “But Magnus _is_ a friend of Maia’s.”

“And your point?” Alec looked up at her.

“He just walked in,” she bit her bottom lip.  All four heads turned towards the door and watched as Maia led Magnus inside, arm looped through his and both grinning from ear to ear.

Jace watched the pair and then turned his attention back to Alec.  “Look, don’t shoot me for saying this,” he was already holding up his hands in defense, “but maybe this is a sign.  At the very least, just go over and try to talk to him.  End things on a peaceful note?”

Izzy was nodding in agreement.  “Yes, go!  Maia and I are up next anyway.  We’ll provide the comedic relief, just in case things get too intense,” she winked at her brother and then broke out laughing, giving him a playful shove.

Alec looked over his shoulder at Magnus and sighed to himself.  Now that he had some time and distance, the guilt had set in for how he had acted.  Deciding they were right, he nodded and stood.  Taking another sip of his drink for encouragement, he was about to turn and find Magnus when Maia walked up.

“I’m sorry, Alec,” Maia gave a sheepish grin and shrugged.  “I had no idea you were going to be here or I would have met up with him somewhere else.”

Alec waved it off, “Don’t worry about it.  I owe him an apology anyway.”  He took a quick glance at Magnus and then turned back to Maia.  “What does he drink?”

“I think a martini would be a safe bet,” she smiled.  “For now.”

“On it,” Simon smiled, before Alec even had a chance to ask.

Soon enough, too soon if Alec was honest, the drink was ready.  He grabbed the martini in one hand, his drink in the other, and took a deep breath.  “Wish me luck,” he mumbled, and with that he turned and made his way across the bar to where Magnus sat, coming to a stop by the side of the table.

Magnus looked up startled, “Alexander?  What are you doing here?”

“Coming in peace?” he held up the martini in offering.  He noticed the wary look on Magnus’ face and before the other man could say anything, he pushed on.  “Look, let me say something.  Please?  And then if you never want to talk to me again, I’ll understand.”

Magnus stared at him for a moment, then nodded for him to continue.

“Thank you,” Alec set the martini down in front of Magnus then pulled out the chair opposite the man and sat.  Taking a quick sip, he set his own glass on the table and looked up at Magnus.  “I’m sorry for how I acted at the restaurant.  Honestly and truly sorry.”

Both men stared at each other for a moment before Alec took a deep breath.

“Seeing Kevin,” Alec stopped and swallowed.  “Let’s just say he’s a face from the past that I hoped to never see again.  The last time I saw him, I was not in a healthy headspace and he took advantage of that.  Seeing him tonight just sent me back there and my defenses went up.  And once they were up, I let little things pile up and make the situation worse than it was.  Unfortunately, I took it out on the wrong person.”

“Thank you for your apology,” Magnus gave a small, sincere smile, “however I believe I owe you one as well.”

“Excuse me?”

Magnus nodded, “Yes.  I saw how you reacted, the change in your body language, when you realized who it was.  It didn’t take a genius to know there was history there, a story I wasn’t aware of.  And I know you were only speaking in anger when you said he should be fired before storming off.  I can’t say I wouldn’t have said and done the same thing if I was in your position, probably even worse.”  He lifted the glass to his lips and took a long swallow before continuing.  “I should have spoken with you before I did anything.  I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”  Alec felt himself smile and felt it grow as Magnus smiled back.  He lifted his drink and offered a toast, “To forgetting the restaurant and everything that happened there.”

“And to hopefully starting over?” Magnus raised his glass as well.

Alec nodded, “To starting over.”  Both men touched glasses before taking a drink.  After he set his glass down, Alec looked up and blushed when he noticed Magnus staring at him.

Seeing the younger man blush only made Magnus’ smile grow.  He was about to make a comment when he noticed a group of people staring at them.  He laughed and motioned behind Alec, “I’m guessing our audience is with you?”

Alec hummed in agreement, not even bothering to turn around.  “Yes, that would be the gang, minus one,” he laughed.  “I’m sure you can tell which one is Izzy.  Normally, there’s a fiery red head named Clary, but I don’t know where she is tonight.  The blonde one is Jace, he’s like a brother to me.  And the one with glasses is Simon, the owner of this bar, and also Jace’s partner.”  He looked at Magnus and beamed, “They’re my family.”

“Ah, so that explains how we both ended up here,” Magnus chuckled to himself.  He watched the three of them, along with Maia, try to play it off like they weren’t watching everything he and Alec were doing.  Eventually, he turned his attention back to the man in front of him.  “They remind me of my family.”

“Really?” Alec was genuinely interested. 

“Yes, it appears we’ve both decided to choose our families,” Magnus said.  He took a sip of his drink before softly replacing it on the table and continuing.  “Actually, the man you saw me with earlier… His name is Raphael.  He and I go way back.  I consider him family.”

Alec blushed and ducked his head, “I’m sorry.  I know-”

Magnus held up his hand and shook his head.  “It’s quite alright.  I know how it must have looked from an outsider’s perspective.  But trust me Alexander, Raphael is closer than blood to me.  As is Maia, Ragnor, a salty old Brit, and Catarina, who is a wonderful woman with the patience of a saint.”

“I can tell how much they mean to you just by the way you talk about them.”

“Someday,” Magnus gave a coy smile, “I might tell you the story of how the four of us came together.  But that requires more time and more alcohol than we have right now.  So what do you say we move on to the awkward, getting-to-know-you portion of the night?  What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a paramedic in this lovely city of ours,” Alec beamed with pride, noticing the way Magnus veered the conversation away from family.  “And you?  What do you do?  Izzy didn’t tell me much.”

“I’ve done a little bit of everything, but right now my main focuses are a few pieces of real estate I own and my club, _Pandemonium_ ,” Magnus answered.  “Have you heard of it?”

Alec choked on the mouthful of drink he had just taken.  “Uh, yeah,” he cleared his throat.  “Sorry, I mean yes.  I’m not really a club person but I’ve actually been to _Pandemonium_ before, although it’s been a while.  Last time was a date that didn’t end very well, to say the least.”

Magnus nodded and asked, “Kevin?”

He chuckled, “Yeah.”

Magnus hummed, and then downed the rest of his drink.  “Yeah, he’s a regular.  And by regular, I mean someone I regularly have escorted off the premises.”

Alec just stared at him for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing, Magnus soon joining him.  “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” he finally said.

“No,” Magnus agreed.  He cleared his throat and sat forward in his seat.  “Alexander, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.  Please know that I do not mean any disrespect.  It’s genuine curiosity.”

“Ok,” Alec sounded wary.

“That homeless man we passed on the way to dinner,” Magnus started.  “Why did you buy food?  Most people would have just given money, if they stopped at all.”

Alec felt his cheeks start to warm but he pushed his embarrassment down and answered the question.  “If I give a homeless person money, there’s a chance they could use it to buy drugs and if they did, and overdosed or something, I would feel horrible.  I would feel responsible.  That’s why I always find the nearest place to buy food and stock up.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Magnus sat back and sighed.  “Thanks.  Now I’m going to be paranoid every time I give money to the homeless.” 

Alec immediately grabbed his hand, “No, please don’t worry.  That’s just my warped sense of responsibility.”  Before he could say anything else, he heard the whistling and cheering coming from behind him.  He quickly pulled his hand back and looked down muttering, “I can’t take them anywhere.”

“Relax.  I highly doubt they’re looking at us.”

He immediately looked up at Magnus and took in his amused expression.  Meeting his eyes, he followed Magnus’ nod and turned around.  He noticed that Jace and Simon weren’t even looking in their direction.  They’re attention was on the stage.  In fact, looking around the bar, he noticed everyone’s attention was on the stage.  Following everyone else, he turned and finally saw the scene in front of him.

  
_Ever since puberty_  
_Everybody stares at me_  
_Boys, girls, I can't help it baby_  
_So be kind, and don't lose your mind_  
_Just remember that I'm your baby_

 

“Oh my god,” Alec start laughing.  He wiped at his eyes as he watched his sister singing and dancing around Maia on the stage, belting out a song from _RENT_.

The pair sat there laughing, watching the spectacle unfold on stage.  Every so often Magnus would give a few loud whistles which would cause Alec to laugh even harder.  Eventually, Maia lifted her mic up, took a step forward, and pushed Izzy back as she took over.

 

_Never quit_  
_I follow through_  
_I hate mess but I love you_  
_What do with my impromptu baby?_

 

Alec watched as Maia turned the tables on Izzy and proceeded to shine in her own spotlight.  Knowing the pride he had for his own sister, he couldn’t help but chance a glance over Magnus.  When he did, he was taken back by the pure joy and awe that he saw on the other man’s face as he watched his friend on stage.

Alec was about to say something when he heard the song coming to an end.  Looking back to the stage, he stood as Maia and Izzy once again came face to face in the center of the stage.  When they were inches apart, they both sang out the last line before dropping their mics to their sides.

 

_Guess I'm leaving. I'm gone!_

 

Everyone joined Alec in standing as a round of clapping, shouting, and whistling rose.  Alec watched as both girls laughed as they hugged then took a bow, before jumping off the stage and going over to Jace and Simon behind the bar.  He couldn’t help but smile as he watched how happy his family was.  He turned around to say something to Magnus but stopped as soon as he saw that the other man was back in his seat, a serious and determined expression on his face.

“We need to top that.”  Magnus was already looking at the list of song choices.

“What?  No,” Alec waved him off.  “No, I can’t.”

Magnus looked up at him and smiled.  “Do you trust me?” he asked, watching as Alec sat back down across from him.

“Uh, I just met you.  I barely know you.”

Magnus looked Alec in the eyes and waited.  After a minute, he placed his hand palm up on the table.  A small smile teased at his lips.  “Do you trust me?”

Alec glanced down at the hand on the table.  An offering.  An offering he felt himself losing the resolve to refuse.  He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.  When he opened them again, he was looking directly into Magnus’ eyes.  “I don’t know why, but yes.  I trust you.”  He placed his hand in Magnus’ and gave a small, shy smile.  When their fingers intertwined and he was pulled up, he felt his cheeks flush with heat.

“Good,” Magnus smiled at him.  “Because I won’t give up on this date.  You?”

Alec gave a genuine, wide smile and shook his head.  “Come on.  I can’t believe I’m doing this, so you better take advantage while I have the nerve.” 

“Oh, Alexander,” Magnus gave a coy smile and winked.  “A gentlemen never takes advantage.”

 


End file.
